Stem Cells International

Scientists study the uses of adult stem cells research

2011-10-04T22:20:00.004-07:00

A new dissertation says that the study of both the embryonic and adult stem cells benefits the medical science but banning either one of them can have a negative impact on the other. The scientists from Stanford University, Michigan University and Mayo clinic Rochester in Minnesota did a research few weeks ago. They studied whether the large number of studies done on certain adult cells types can change the overall research course. About two thousand research papers were investigated regarding uses of adult stem cells and it was found that adult cells do not replace the embryonic stem cells during the research. They analyzed that disruption in finding of any of the two would have adverse affect on the overall stem cell investigation.

As per the National Science Foundation (NSF), Science and Innovation policy Program Director, Julia Lane, the study is significant as it examines the co-authorship network of stem cell articles and then uses them for understanding the connection between both the complimentary research areas. This sounds interesting as the technique it uses is the new analytical one that enhances the knowledge regarding the policy implementation in an area affecting the scientific research in another field. The research was however published in the Journal Cell on the 9^th June 2011.

A sociologist in Michigan University, Jason Owen Smith says that the benefits of stem cells in using both types of cells in case of the comparative study are higher. He discovered that the knowledge behind the adult cells can be reprogrammed that are known as human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). Even after their easy availability, they are still in the world of infancy. This is why the hiPSCs are not capable for an easy solution to the ethical questions associated with the embryonic stem cells research. These pluripotent cells are those that can differentiate into any tissue. Thus the human embryonic stem cells or simply embryonic stem cells are also known as pluripotent.

The research papers examined were of the years 1998 to 2010. It was found that the ratio of papers showing uses of adult and embryonic stem cells both was growing rapidly rather than those using adult cells simply. In 2008 where only 5.1 percent papers reported the use of adult cells and three among them used both. While in the year of 2010 about 28 percent did study on both cell technologies and 62.1 combined the use of both cell lines. This study further demonstrates that the two types of cells have become so interconnected that denial of funding of anyone of them would affect the stem cell research of the other.

If the research on stem cells taken from the human embryo is stopped, then they would have a negative impact on the study of adult stem cells. Further, adding to this the bioethicist, Christopher Scott of University of Stanford said that it might happen that it would never be possible to select one out of embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent as no one knows which of the cell type is perfect for such stem cell treatments. The whole idea is to understand the impact of decisions of the policy on science as the study proves that both cells are complementary.

Researchers of stem cell transplant challenge the controversial clinical practices

2011-10-04T22:20:00.003-07:00

The regenerative treatment that is stem cell transplant has brought a new hope into the lives of many patients. According to the article published in the Journal Nature – the stem cell clinics have been providing unapproved and insecure treatments to the patients dying out there. They also charge a huge sum that is about thousands of dollars for being injected with the blend of mysterious cells in order to cure certain disease. It is in fact the best money wastage that can also bring worst results on the health of the patient. There is also significant contribution by savvy marketers and the internet that promote these insecure treatments over web.

It increases the risk on the damage of authenticity of the field. There are many dangers provided by these clinics. During the month of May, the largest stem cell clinic in the Europe was shut down after it provided treatment that lead to the death of a child. There is great frustration among the stem cell researchers with the rapid proliferation of such types of clinics and also the tax regulations by FDA. Last year, International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) launched new website that was ‘A Closer Look at Stem Cell Treatments. The site was to let tell about the facts and analysis of the clinical treatments.

According to the MD director of Stanford institute cell biology of stem cells and regenerative medicine, Irvin Weissman- ‘a large number of patients are not being treated in the proper way.’ In some cases the treatments which are effective to some extent disqualify the patients from receiving them while in others the unsecured healings are definitely affecting the public as well private support of stem cell therapy. A patient will not make a wise decision when one is not provided the reliable and true information. It is major ethical problem. It is yet another fact that no matter how informed a patient is, no one can stop a person choosing a treatment or to undergo unapproved cure.

Weissman says that the field of stem cells is recent one. Scientists are researching on which type of stem cells can regenerate what type of organs. The primary goal however always remains no harm. This is the reason that the test is firstly done on animals and then proved for clinical trial in human beings. At every step, the productivity of science is verified. The attempt to commercialize the treatments that are not approved raises the risk to those receiving them. The researchers are still looking for a way to educate the patients regarding the risks associated with the stem cell treatments which are not approved.

It is also an issue of great concern that the individuals seek information from the insecure and fake sources. These also involve disputed societies having connection to the medicine industry. The clinics create confusion. The stem cell clinics do not give proof that the treatment really works. Instead they say that it should work. Due to the lack of solid facts it gets very difficult to argue on this issue. So, it is an advice to do good research as it is a matter of your health.

Launch of a website boosts the research in the field of stem cell therapy

2011-10-04T22:20:00.002-07:00

There has been launched a new website to educate people about the stem cells and their research. It just requires few clicks and the new website opens which is a school for the public providing knowledge of stem cell technology. About fifty years ago two researchers from Toronto confirmed for the very first time that stem cells really exist that led to a major change in the medicine history. The new site Stem cell city has been created by McEwen Regenerative Medicine Centre. It will inform people about the tiny tissue generating powerhouses in the body. It will teach how these powerhouses can defeat the chronic disease in the body such as lung and heart disease.

The site has been launched after understanding the need of informing people about this issue. It has been observed that people are still unaware about what the stem cells are and their different types as quoted by the director of this centre of McEwen Dr. Gordon Keller. The site can be called as a virtual tour of the lab of the centers which allows the visitors to search for the topics of personal interest and even ask queries from the researchers. They will be also able to get updates related to the stem cell research done in disease of their interest. Stem cells are known as the unspecialized cells which have the capacity to renew into unlimited number and develop into some wide variety of specialized cells such as heart, liver, muscle, brain and pancreatic cells.

The government of McGuinty granted $27 million for the funding of the stem cells study that later on collaborated with the California governor Arnold. McGuinty said that the site for deriving embryonic cells has unleashed the inner scientist inside him that has given the inspiration to help for this noble cause. It is hoped that one day even the people having spinal injuries would be treated successfully. Embryonic stem cells are known as the most powerful. The scientists are also looking for other sources to extract stem cells as the embryonic research still remains a concern. California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Chairman Robert Klein has already said that there is being conducting a large deal of research to discover some others stem cell therapy against bulk of diseases affecting the human.

One among them is for macular degeneration, a disease under which people above 65 start suffering from blindness. The motive of McEwen centre is to explain to the layman what actually happens in a Petri-dish under lab conditions. However, the main concern of people always remains the future. The stem cells that generate other body cells can be allowed to undergo testing to determine if it brings any adverse affects. The stem cells taken from the patient give rise to the liver, heart, lung and blood cells matching them. This has given rise to a new hope among scientists that one day they would be growing entire kidney, liver and heart in the lab. The launch of the website concurs to the annual meeting for research on cells carried out by Stem Cells International Society. The four day conference that held in Toronto brought about 4000 participants from the entire world.

Now scientists will decide the fate of stem cell technology

2011-10-04T22:20:00.001-07:00

Genome institute of Singapore (GIS) has collaborated with Cancer institute of Singapore (CSI) for a research. GIS is the institute of Science, Technology and Research. The GIS scientists studied how the body controls fate of stem cells by using a single communication system. This study was published in the journal named PLoS Genetics on 23rd of June 2011. The news was -a study opens new door for development of new techniques in the field of stem cell technology. Another interesting aspect of this study is the therapy will show results with very few side effects. This study was done by Dr Kian Leong Lee and his team of scientists.

Dr. Lee did this research on the signaling system that is how a single signaling system which is known as nodal or Activin pathway gives the signal to stem cells. He with his fellow scientists studied how on receiving these signals, stem cells decide which type of cells they should become. This nodal pathway in actual is capable to specify the wide range of cell types. In other words, it is a challenge to the perception of many individuals that chemical signal system is specific and can control limited outcome. The research has provided itself to be a leading step in the field of stem cell therapy and medical history.

The study will benefit the scientists in understanding how they can control the future of stem cells by modifying the cell chemical environment. This technique of controlling the differentiation of stem cells will avoid the modification of genetic make –up of a cell that might make the cell cancerous. Dr. Lee said that many of the scientists have this belief that protein and the chemical signaling system possess some specific functions. However, this study demonstrates that one signal can be modified giving different instructions.

The benefits of stem cells study would be that it will further pave the way for higher research and studies in the generation of cells and tissue repairing. It can be used in the personalized medicine in which stem cells taken from a single patient are manipulated for making other cell types that match genetically to the donor. Urban Lendahl is the vice-chairman and also professor of genetics at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden at the department of Cell and Molecular Biology. He has said that, “this study by Dr. Lee has truly given advanced findings that have added much to our knowledge regarding this field”.

It has made clear how the single signaling system can control the maintenance of stem cells and differentiation. The increase or decrease in the nodal signaling leads to exit of the state of stem cells in embryonic cells. Moreover, another finding that the pSmad2 can regulate the dissimilar gene sets at certain different levels of activin signaling gives new insight to the molecular regulation of the state of stem cells. It is taken to be a powerful and useful research that will be used to understand something more about the functioning of stem cells. Scientists are very pleased with this finding as now they own the fate of stem cells and can turn it into a useful direction.

Donate menstrual blood as it can save someone’s life

2011-10-04T22:20:00.000-07:00

Menstrual cycle has always been a time of great annoyance for women. The fact that can only be understood by women is that monthly bleeding is not an idea of fun. Yet it is another fact that menstrual blood storage has greater significance in medical science. The reason being it clears the uterus on monthly basis and starts preparing the womb to have a healthy pregnancy. Has anyone ever given a thought to this that this blood can help someone? The thought of saving one’s life will surely make this time less frustrating for a woman.

According to latest stem cells news, the menstrual blood stem cells and also the cells found in umbilical cord can be effectively used for the treatment of diseases related to heart and other fatal ones. Alzheimer’s, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s are some that can be cured potentially. The stem cells found there can generate into other several types of cells. A study was conducted in this regard by South Florida University’s neurosurgery department and other research groups. They said that as these stem cells are not mature immunologically, they can help in the cell survival during the transplant.

During the study, it was observed that the stem cells extracted from menstrual blood were differentiating themselves into nerve cells under lab conditions. They were then infused into the animal stroke model. The result was the stem cells lessened the behavioral harms in the stroke model of rat. However, the collection method of both types of cells from cord and blood is easy. Mostly people get confused that how they have to store menstrual blood and that too in a hygienic way. So Julie Allickson who is co-author of journal Cell transplantation and also vice president of R&D of Cryo-Cell has explained the process.

A cup that is made up of medical grade silicone is inserted in the vagina just like a tampon. It is inserted during the heavy flow day of a woman. The cup gets perfectly fixed in place for about three hours and has the capacity to collect up to 10-20 milliliters blood. The blood is then poured in a container available in the kit. A kit is available in the market especially for menstrual blood collection. It is then delivered to the laboratory. The stem cells exist in the endometrium that develops every month during the cycle. They can divide every 24 hours to produce growth factors.

There have been opened menstrual blood banks where they can donate it. Preserve menstrual blood in the kit conveniently and save one’s life today. Moreover, these stem cells are also free of any kind of controversy that is linked to the human embryonic stem cells. These stem cells harvested from menstrual blood are known to be more renewable than those found in cord blood. In US, every woman gives birth to 2.1 babies during her lifetime on an average. The period she has is about 500 times during the same span. This implies lots of wastage of stem cells. Thus, it is very important for women to come forward and take a leading step by donating their menstrual blood.

Americans found in favor of stem cell research for treatment of chronic diseases

2011-10-04T22:19:00.002-07:00

It is a known fact that embryonic stem cells have raised a political controversy for about last two decades. This controversy has been regarding the use of embryonic stem cells. Many politicians claim that the scientists kill human embryo for the sake of their stem cell treatment. However, scientists have said that those embryos are the fertilized eggs donated by couples that have to be discarded otherwise. Little contribution has been made by the researchers of University of Nevada to resolve this dispute. A new dissertation has been done in this field named as Attitude of America toward human embryonic cell research.

The stem cell news was published in the journal of Natural biotechnology. The sample of the study was US citizens and sample unit was 2295 respondents. Some of the crucial findings of the study were as follows –

ü The therapeutic cloning is banned in USA. It implies the nuclear transfer of the genes of the patients. After the study it was found that about two-third of the people were there who were in favor of this cloning and only one in six did not give approval. They were found in favor of using stem cells for the treatment of cancer and heart disease.

ü Another finding revealed that there were about two-third of the respondents that approved of the new method. It involved the use of modified adult cells as an alternative for the embryonic cells if found effective to cure heart attacks or cancer. Fifteen percent and less than that did not find this beneficial.

ü About 43 to 47 percent approved for cloning and use of stem cells extracted from embryos and adult tissue to heal allergies. There were just one in four who said no to this but about 30 percent of the people had mixed answers. This shows that mostly people find such methods useful for less severe conditions.

ü The respondents were not in favor of reproductive cloning of humans, even not for the child who had died as the disapproval percentage was about seventy percent.

ü Moreover, people also did not find the stem cell research useful for the cosmetic purposes as half of them refused while quarter of them showed approval.

The most interesting part of the research as observed by a sociologist named Evans is that the respondents preferred their own opinion rather than concerning the views of church and several other authorities.

ü According to Evans, majority of the people, approximately two third of them prefer following own opinion to decide whether such treatments are right or not. The ratio of people who gave more importance to the Church rather than themselves was just 4 percent. Those who were committed Catholics found deferring to the church on such matters.

ü The outcome of the study was- in spite of the strong opposition by the Catholic Church there were a large number of supporters in favor of use of stem cells. Even among those who were in the disapproving group, churchgoing women were found to be more in favor rather than in opposition.

However, it was not a reliable approach to know public opinion regarding this matter. In its place, a systemic survey research could have helped more.

Disease treatment with menstrual blood storage

2011-10-04T22:19:00.001-07:00

Many women curse themselves for being women during this time. As long as it is concerned with the scientists, they call this time a miracle that can save someone’s life suffering from some of the fatal diseases like Parkinson’s and even breast cancer. According to a crucial research, it has been found that menstrual blood that is usually discarded by women as a menstrual wastage has come out to be an effective medication for treatment of serious illness. It is because of the fact that menstrual blood storage possesses the stem cells that can be recovered simply and then further accumulated.

Moreover, the stem cells extracted from human embryos have raised high controversy for the last decade. The use of stem cells taken from the menstrual blood does not have ethical issues related to it. So, there is hope to solve this controversy to a large extent by the use of menstrual blood stem cells. Stem cells have the ability to divide rapidly and thus differentiate into several cells such as fat, cartilage, bone, neural and several others. It shows the sign of promising future ahead. According to the medical experts they believe that the endometrium which is the external lining of uterus can be used for treating severe ailments.

However, the above claim does not hold any clinical information. Nowadays, the scientists are encouraging women to donate menstrual blood. There have been invented new techniques and one among them is simple kit. This kit has some simple tools that can be used by any woman for the collection of menstrual blood. The collected blood is then sent for the processing in the lab and then for cryo freezing. The method of blood collection is simple and there are no risks or side effects associated with this. However, the blood sample preferably should be from the females who not above 35 years.

The response for the blood collection has been positive. The method is painless and involves no hassle. You can easily Store menstrual blood privately in the home by using menstrual cup. The cup is a conical shape silicon cup that possesses the capacity to collect the menstrual blood up to the level of 30ml. One interesting fact about this is the stem cells extracted from blood taken during menstrual cycle have the capacity to even benefit other members in the family. It includes only those whose genetic makeup matches to the donor.

According to many medical experts, they always advice women for the menstrual blood preservation at young age. It is because of the fact that the health of stem cells in the menstrual blood is superior at a young age rather than those collected at later stage. The stem cells potency is the ability of these cells to rapidly multiply to produce huge quantity of cells for the therapy in a very short span of time. Younger the woman is, more would be the potential of cells to multiply at a faster rate. Once the person knows where their blood is being stored it will give a peace of mind as they can use when the need arises. It is much better than bone marrow and a life saving alternative.

Benefits of stem cells in menstrual blood over embryonic stem cells

2011-10-04T22:19:00.000-07:00

Stem cells are the cells that have the capability to divide rapidly and generate into several other cell types. These can be heart, liver, blood cells and many others forming an organ to cure some severe diseases. These have been harvested from the adult tissue or human embryo from a long time. However, the use of embryo stem cells has been an issue of great controversy. Many politicians claim that the stem cell technology

involves usage of embryonic stem cells which is not ethical. Scientists on the other hand say that the embryo used for research is donated by couples with their own consent. To solve this dispute, scientists are making efforts to find other sources for the extraction of stem cells

Following this, the scientists stepped into the research that stem cells found in menstrual blood storage possess the same functions and effectiveness as that possessed by the embryonic stem cells. This has appeared to be a good alternative for hESCs. The study conducted by team of doctors that is headed by Dr. Hinduja proved that menstrual blood is rich source of stem cells with the property of differentiation as that of embryonic stem cells. These findings thus have provided a huge relief to the scientists all around the world due to ban on the embryonic stem cells study.

The embryonic cells are collected from the embryo that is four to six days old while menstrual cells are extracted from a woman from the day of beginning of menstrual cycle. Another interesting fact is that the cells can be collected for more than thirty years. The assumption of the study is that a new line of endometrium which is the lining of uterus is formed at the time of menstrual period. So, they form new cells every month and thus there are huge chances of the presence of the stem cells. The menstrual blood stem cells can turn into different tissues such as lung, bone, brain, liver, pancreas, blood vessels and heart at a rapid rate.

The uses of adult stem cells were recommended earlier but it was found that the adult stem cells are not capable to grow in a rapid number like embryonic cells. Later on when there started growing many controversies for usage of embryonic cells, menstrual blood stem cells gave a new hope to scientists for carrying further research. The collection of menstrual blood is an easy process. The method is hassle free and painless. A kit is available that is provided by leading organizations devoted in this field. The usage does not require any technical knowledge.

There are further being made much advancement to find out some benefits of stem cells in menstrual blood. Several new devices are being discovered in this field today. One device named Mademoicell is the combination of condom and tampon. The device is actually a thick and artsy condom that is inserted to absorb menstrual blood. The blood is then collected to extract the stem cells that keep the capability to grow into tissue and cure many severe diseases. This study is also an answer to those who have been raising questions on the use of human embryonic stem cells.

President Barack Obama’s Stem Cell Policy to Further Boost Activity

2011-10-04T22:09:00.002-07:00

President Obama established a policy in 2009 “Removing Barriers to Responsible Scientific Research Involving Human Stem Cells”. Federal funding will help boost research into stem cells derived from banks specializing in storing umbilical cord blood and menstrual blood storage. Menstrual blood banking has been touted as a renewal source of stem cells and Celle, a division of Cryo-Cell is actively promoting its menstrual blood bank, offering women a chance to store their stem cells for future use.

That there is a frenetic pace in research in stem cells is shown by the fact that 13 new stem cell lines were added to the National Institutes of Health Human Stem Cell Registry and 96 more lines, developed by researchers, are under c consideration. The President’s policy will help patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, neurological disorders and brain injuries to recuperate with easy availability of stem cells at an affordable cost. Such critical cases, when treated with stem cell transplants have almost fully recovered in quite a few experimental operations conducted in the US and elsewhere, offering hope in serious “no-hope” situations.

Though this move was blocked by a federal court order on the application filed by the Nightlight Christian Adoptions group contending that this will decrease human embryos available for adoption, the stumbling block should be resolved soon, paving the way for better health for a vast number of the patients in terminal stages.

When a US District Judge Royce Lamberth issued an injunction blocking funding of researchers working on stem cells on the ground that it violated a federal that prohibits federal tax money being used for research, the Justice Department stepped in and requested the judge to revise his order for the larger benefit of mankind. The government claims that staying such a research project could cause immense harm to lifesaving efforts and medical breakthroughs with more than significant hopes of success. Such an injunction, the department contends, would result in no benefit as millions have already been spent through public funding and shutting it down serves no purpose nor brings the money back.

When viewed with the President’s policy, it seems that the atmosphere in the country is quite favorable for a tremendous growth in stem cell research and applications.

Menstrual Blood is a Rich Source of Stem Cells

2011-10-04T22:09:00.001-07:00

Menstrual blood and, lately, cord blood are considered as sources of stem cells. Stem cells derived when they isolate menstrual blood stem cells in the laboratory are more effective s ince they are immunologically immature and contribute to cell survival. Such menstrual blood stem cells show more promise in cases of stroke and Alzheimer’s disease to name only a couple.

Cry-Cell is a leading company in the US engaged in menstrual blood storage. According to Julie Allickson, vice president of research and development, it is easy for a woman to collect and ship her menstrual blood for menstrual blood storage at a nominal cost of only USD 499. While umbilical cord blood is collected at the time of delivery in a hospital, for menstrual blood collection and storage, the company provides a medical grade silicone cup. This is inserted into the vagina on the day when her menstrual flow is the heaviest. In about three hours’ time it is possible to collect between 10 to 20 milliliters of menstrual blood. The blood is poured into a collection kit that Cryo-Cell provides and it is mailed to the laboratory for processing and storage. It is the only menstrual blood bank of its kind and storage costs $ 99 a year.

There is no news on the number of women who have banked menstrual blood so far. Since a woman menstruates every month, menstrual blood is a viable source of renewable stem cells. The future of stem cell international transplants could rely heavily on development and propagation of the concept of menstrual blood collection and storage. This is an evolving technology but over the years one can expect it to become a regular feature of the medical world.

Already, across the US, several stem cell banks have come into being and are operational. There is an ongoing active drive to collect such menstrual blood and cord blood from women across various ethnic and racial backgrounds to broad base the stem cells that might be of immense therapeutic use in treating racial minorities in the US. Companies like Cryo Cell have a headstart in this program and with state funding and encouragement, the future should see costs of stem cell transplants come down drastically.

Menstrual Blood A Vital Source of Stem Cells to Treat Neurological Disorders Vital menstrual blood

2011-10-04T22:09:00.000-07:00

Research in the use of menstrual blood derived stem cells in the treatment of neurological disorders is an ongoing process at Celle, the leading company in the field of collection of menstrual blood. Clinical trials are still going on to find the optimal cell type that will benefit a large number of people afflicted with neurological disorders. Stem cells derived from preserved menstrual blood typically exhibit embryonic like stem cell phenotypic markers. When grown in the right media, these cells have suitable neuronal phenotypic markers with potential applications in neurological disorder treatments. Trials have shown that transplantation of such stem cells either intracerebrally or intravenously, without the use of immune suppression agents, in adult rats with induced stroke symptoms, resulted in reduced impairments. Abundant stem cells from menstrual blood matched the female transplant recipient in clinical trials for treatment of stroke.

Stroke causes death and disability due to secondary cellular death occurring over a long period. Celle is committed to store menstrual blood and use it as a source of stem cells in neurorestorative treatments to salvage the ischemic penumbra and help the patient recover to some extent. Cell therapy, as on date, is the only promising treatment on the horizon for management of stroke and its treatment.

Ongoing research by the company has shown that menstrual blood is regenerative and non-invasive and a rich source of stem cells from the uterine lining. These stem cells are multipotent and can be segregated into adipogenic, osteogenic, neurogenic, pulmonary epithelial, hepatic, pancreatic and cardiogenic cell lineages, with a capacity for proliferation. Stem cells from renewable menstrual blood can also be a low cost option. Studies have been conducted to focus on neural stem cells for potential use in transplants for stroke therapy, helping patients regain functionality to some extent.

In order to aid collection Celle provides complete collection and shipping kits for women, helping them collect menstrual blood on the day the discharge is the highest. Collected in a uterine cup, the blood is transferred to a bag and shipped to the company headquarters where it follows a series of procedures to separate the stem cells and store them in liquid nitrogen.

Financial Results a Pointer to Success of Stem Cell Program

2011-10-04T22:06:00.000-07:00

Celle is wholly owned by Cryo-Cell International Inc, the leader in stem cell technology. While Cryo-Cell forcuses on umbilical cord blood collection, Celle works to collect menstrual blood. Umbilical cord blood is today considered as a rich source of stem cells. Celle is exploring and working to collect stem cells from menstrual blood. The technique is to isolate menstrual blood and separate stem cells, which are stored in liquid nitrogen for future use. That this technology of stem cells as a therapeutic treatment option in various life threatening diseases is taking off is reflected in the financial workings of the company.

According to Mercedes A Walton, Chairman and CEO of Cryo-Cell, the company has progressively made profits for ten quarters right to the quarter of March 2011. The rising trend started in 2009 and present indications are that it will steadily keep climbing up as revenues fuel research that fuels further growth in stem cell transplantation techniques and treatments. According to him the share prices have doubled and the future holds a lot of promise.

How promising the future is can be gleaned from the fact that the company, as on 31^st May 2011, had a cash reserve of $ 9.3 million, a 15% increase over its $ 8.1 million cash figures for 2010. In its favor is that it has no long term debt. Share price stands at $ 3.67 compared to $ 1.25 at the end of the second quarter 2010—a whopping 194% increase.

That the company is making intense efforts in stem cell research and marketing can be seen from the fact that while sales increased net income was comparatively lower at $ 177000, influenced by higher expenses and investment pointed at future growth and expansion in various other countries.

The company holds a lead in technology as can be seen from the licensee income that stood at $ 290000 in royalty for the three months ended 31 May 2011. The company has global operations spreading from Nicaragua at one end to Germany at the other end and it is expanding to Asian countries too. Gross revenues at the second quarter of 2011 approximated $ 4.6 million. Revenues climbed to $ 4.3 million from processing and storage.

Celle is a part of the company’s overall operations, specifically into menstrual blood collection and deriving stem cells from menstrual blood—a hugely promising renewal source of stem cells.

Celle, a Subsidiary of Cryo-Cell Banks Menstrual Blood as a Source of Stem Cells

2011-10-04T22:03:00.000-07:00

Cryo Cell International is well known since 1989 as a company in the forefront of umbilical cord blood banking. It formed a subsidiary in 2007, Celle, to explore possibilities of harvesting stem cells in menstrual blood. They have researched and found that stem cells from menstrual blood are similar in properties to the stem cells harvested from bone marrow and cord blood with unique markings like those of embryonic cell. Stem cells menstrual blood origins do not generate the controversies surrounding embryonic blood. It is easy to collect menstrual blood as a source of vital stem cells.

Stem cells from menstrual blood are just as effective as cord blood stem cells in Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, anemia, sickle cell disease, osteoarthritis and diabetes. Research has thrown promising light on the use of stem cells menstrual blood to fight heart diseases and neurological disorders like Parkinson’s.

While umbilical cord blood has been used in more than 8000 stem cell transplant operations, there are no figures available for stem cells obtained from menstrual blood being used in transplants.

In order to collect these vital stem cells, women are given menstrual blood collection kits. A silicon rubber cup is inserted into the vagina during the day when the flow is the highest. Blood collected in the cup is transferred to a bag and shipped to C’Elle for storage and future use of stem cells from menstrual blood.

Laboratory trials have already shown the beneficial effects of stem cells in menstrual blood but it is yet to gain widespread acceptance. Menstrual blood is a more robust and replenishable supply of stem cells.

Scientists growing live human heart through stem cell treatments

2011-07-01T21:50:00.000-07:00

Science is full of miracles and it can never be predicted what new miracle it will bring in the next hour. One would be reading about a particular breakthrough and thinking hard whether it is possible and they would show up a new one. It is only due to expertise of researchers that has led to the end of several diseases that were considered fatal. Researchers these days are busy in growing live human hearts with adult stem cells in their labs. The scientists of the Minnesota University, America which have made this possible are hoping that these artificial hearts will start beating within few weeks. This stem cell research has given new hope to millions and billions of patients suffering from heart problems.

It is a huge step towards ‘grow-your-own’ heart. Their approach involves extraction of muscle cells from the donor organs leaving heart of connective tissue behind. The stem cells are then injected which multiply to form a structure. This converts into healthy heart cells. As per Dr. Doris Taylor, an expert of Minnesota University, there is so many obstructions that have to be dealt with while creating a new fully functional heart. Taylor further says that she is confident that one day it might be possible to grow a whole organ for transplantation through stem cell transplant. The patient who undergoes regular heart transplantation should take drugs to repress the immune system for the remaining life. It might increase the chances of kidney failure, diabetes and hypertension.

The organs grown in lab earlier are being generated using cells – immature ‘master cells’ of the body. They are those cells that are capable to turn into different tissue types. During the year of 2007, researchers got success by creating a human heart valve with stem cells extracted from bone marrow. Taylor and team have already successfully generated pig and rat hearts. However, these organs could not be transplanted into animals as they were not much strong. Later, the team used human hearts taken from the body of dead people. Cells were extracted from these dead hearts with a strong detergent leaving a collagen skeleton behind. The skeleton was termed as a ghost heart because of its scary appearance. The ghost heart was infused with stem cells of the patients followed by stem cells treatments with several chemicals.

The stem cells identified the organ structure and started multiplying forming muscles cells of heart. There are many hurdles that come in way during generation of a fully functional heart. Major is providing sufficient amount of oxygen through a complicated blood vessels network. Further researchers also have to make this sure that heart cells will beat in a normal way. The scientists are very happy with the research. They believe that no doubt it will take some time to make this fully functional but along with that it has also increased the chances of growing new organs for the transplantation of human being. Moreover, due to stem cells coming from own body of patients it further reduces the chances of rejection by the patient’s body. The study would definitely end the problem of cardiac patients resulting in reduction of death rate of the people dying from several heart problems.

3-D Experiments coming out with several uses of adult stem cells

2011-07-01T21:39:00.000-07:00

Recently researchers have come to know about the higher flexibility of a type of adult cells. A type of adult cells has been found to have higher versatility by the use of 3D experiments. Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) are one such type of the adult stem cells that have proved that these can be used in many researches and stem cell therapy. Dr. Paul Genever of York University participated in the annual science meet of National Stem Cell Network in London. He told about his work to grow MSCs under lab conditions that are mainly used during this therapy. It is because these cells have high potential to form a wide range of different cells that might be early precursors or muscle cells of heart.

As it is a well recognized fact the adult cells have already shown a great hope and proved to be highly significant for the repair of damaged cartilage structure and bone. These are most commonly found in the bone marrow, blood and other tissues in the body of adults or children. It is being predicted that the research will help to create a 3D environment which is generally occupied by the stem cells in the body of a human being. It will help to generate the exact conditions as in the human body so as to influence MSCs for the generation of different cell types. It is another fact that till now they have been found to be limited in the cell types they were capable to form under laboratory.

As per Genever, he has grown these cells in 2D layers under laboratory conditions. These were showing high ability to form fat, cartilage structure or bones. The uses of adult stem cells grown this way were many but they were limited to only these three cell types. Now with the aid of 3D technique it is possible to provide exact level of nutrients, mechanical forces and oxygen level which are present in a human body. The use of 3D layer instead of 2D increases their chances to develop into more number of different cell types. They indentify their roles swiftly and complete it effectively. This reflects their versatile nature. The MSCs are tiny spheres that measure just about 200-300mm across. It is just half the size of a tiny dust particle.

It is possible that one can observe the impacts of interactions within these small spheres. The interaction would be between number of cells or between these cells and several other supporting structures. The mesenchymal stem cells can be linked to other cells types. The most commonly used cell types are endothelial cells. These endothelial cells are found on the blood vessel surface. Professor Douglas Kell who is CE of BBSRC said that benefits of stem cells are widely known. They are useful for regular development of the body and its repair. This research will surely help to know about the exact environment that stem cells go through under regular body conditions of human beings and animals. Thanks to the 3D experiments that have made this wonderful research possible. It is a critical study in the fight against many severe diseases.

What is the need and right age to store menstrual blood stem cells for a woman?

2011-07-01T21:37:00.000-07:00

It has been proved that stem cells have the potential to heal several diseases due to their ability to grow into several types of cells. Few months back scientists were involved in the study of role played by stem cells extracted from menstrual blood storage. After large number of studies done in this area, now it has been proved that the stem cells obtained from the menstrual blood have high potential to cure several diseases just like the stem cells obtained from other sources. These cells reflect some features and properties similar to embryonic cells and bone marrow stem cells. This study has its significance because stem cell extraction methods have gained a lot of controversies earlier.

This collection method of these cells from menstrual blood is safe and renewable. Now the question arises what should be the right age for the menstrual blood banking. Experts recommend that younger woman have more healthy stem cells which is the perfect time for it . The stem cells found in blood released during menstrual cycle are mesenchymal types. These grow into other types of cells such as cartilage, bone, fat, skeletal muscle cells and many more. As these cells can grow at a rapid rate for long duration, it is easy to obtain their large population within short span of time and small cell population.

As the cycle repeats itself every month, the lining of uterus which is called as endometrium is shed with the extra tissues and waste blood. There are present mesenchymal stem cells in this uterine lining having greater growth capacity as compared to regular stem cells. Further, with the development of new and advanced tools and procedures it has become far easier to obtain large number of these stem cells. These cells are purified and hence hold high value in stem cell treatments against several fatal diseases. Nowadays the stem cells obtained from menstrual blood are in use for hundreds of medical trials performed in the clinics. Many among these clinical trials are being used for business purpose by the Food and Drug Administration of America.

Prior to this study, menstrual blood that was earlier discarded, all of a sudden has gained high attention of all scientists due to presence of self-renewable stem cells. It is being anticipated that these cells can surely be used to heal several diseases in future. They are diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, Atherosclerosis, Parkinson’s, rheumatoid and osteoarthritis and many more. One of the most advantageous factors is less immune rejection in females. This implies that as stem cells would be taken from women’s body and therefore they will not reject the body. This way these cells can be used during their personal therapy.

All the scientists around the world are encouraging women to store menstrual blood and donate it. The growth of these cells is controlled by the use of some standard drugs. They do not cause any toxic effect or health hazard leading into death of patients. As compared to bone marrow extraction, this method is completely painless due to no use of any invasive technique. This way they are easily tolerable by the patients and safe to use.

The stem cells international society establishes new record of 750 cases of adult stem cells patients

2011-07-01T21:33:00.000-07:00

The International Cellular Medicine Society (ICMS) has recently achieved new milestone. ICMS has reached the target of 750 patients who have been provided stem cell treatments till now. ICMS is a nonprofit organization that is working for the safety of people. The society facilitates the education of doctors and provides an insight about the peer group. It has proved to be a critical step in the field of cell based medicine. Ricardo Rodriguez who is a director of ICMS, MD and co-chairperson of medical advisory board says that ICMS is based on the foundation of the safety of its patients.

The stem cells international society offers some of the finest practices and recognised clinics. Now ICMS has added one more chapter in its success story through increased number of patients. This way ICMS has come to establish itself as one of the premier organization. It is providing advanced treatments that are followed by the best care to each and every patient. Further, only those clinics that fulfill the minimum standards of the ICMS and are under review by board of institutional review are provided access to participate in treatment registry.

The treatment registry of ICMS is basically a completely secure and online data collection system that maintains track of the patients who have successfully operated through adult stem cells. After the treatment all the patients are surveyed either through surveys or interviews. It includes the interval of three, six and twelve months and even two, three, four, five, ten and twenty years. They are interviewed to determine the success rate and complications that might come into light during that time. However, this therapy has been found to report complication rate less than two percent and these do not show any severe cases.

The ICMS executive director, David Audley says that having such a significant record of patients successfully operated with negligible complication rate is an evidence of huge safety concern by the ICMS professionals. International Cellular Medicine Society has huge collection of data. The firm is determined to maintain the privacy of the patients and keep treatment procedures confidential. The data which has been recorded in the registry covers procedures of collection of cells and administration and even specific outcomes of this treatment. They are kept secure and can be accessed by only some selected clinics, patients and reviewers by ICMS.

All the reviewers are responsible for assessment of the registry data for the evaluation of the outcomes of audit patients and protocols. They have to follow strict norms and secret agreements that are kept confidential. ICMS does not publish the results gained from individual clinics. On the other hand, it publishes all the findings of some crucial stem cell research study or complaints. Cellular Medicine Society believes that the number of patients will further increase with the recently launched accredited program of stem cell clinic. With more and more clinics expanding their operations in stem cell technology and its treatments ICMS will expand further being one of the most trusted and self-regulating firms.